Into the woods we went.

NO GENDER! That's right, we are having a garden snail and it doesn't have a gender.

Ok, really the baby just didn't spread its fat legs so we couldn't see anything. Just an incredibly active baby who was moving every other part of its body! I had a strong feeling leading up to it that we wouldn't find out, so I wasn't really disappointed. I'm definitely starting to want to know though, especially because I've been (finally) starting my baby registry because I'm about to have a baby shower at work. That definitely made me realize I'm having a baby! And it made me realize how few gender neutral things there are.

So instead of a cute gender announcement, you get some pictures from about two weeks ago (I was exactly 20 weeks). After seeing a million pictures of the fall leaves on Facebook from my bike riding friends, Vince and I decided to go walk in the woods instead. It was beautiful! Roxi also had a blast chasing squirrels and got one trapped in a downed tree. It was squealing and squealing while Roxi barked at it - I felt so bad for it.

Someone had a fire going as they were chopping wood. 

^ Vince can't seem to take a focused picture of me, ever. I asked him to take a few pictures of my belly tonight on my phone and 3/3 were blurry. 

^ But this blurriness was my fault. I was trying to focus on my belly, didn't get it at first shot, and was too cold to get another since we were leaving.

^ Can you see Roxanne in this picture?

 

^ Driving with the windows down and the heater on.
After walking around we went and hungout with a friend who works at the nature conservatory. The conservatory is a bunch of cabins far from anything at the base of the mountain with a large expanse of open prairies and trees. The sun was setting as we drove out there and it was just stunning and everything was engulfed in bright red. No photo editing here!

^ Seriously, REAL LIFE!

 

Randos

I have like twenty drafts that I haven't posted that are all half finished. I sit down to write and just feel meeeeehhhhhh. So you get random pictures instead, mostly tidbits of my house, with few words.

Fun Magnets. Also a notepad that has a picture of a little girl I don't even know.

We've figured out how to wash dishes like adults! This set-up works well for us and we are more inclined to wash dishes right after we use them.

Good for the soul: local raw honey.

So many leaves. I'd like to rake them up and jump in them!

Little spice triangle above the stove. So handy. Also, I had to buy a new container of curry powder which was so exciting because it means I'm using it a lot.

Nom.

Flowers from my neighbor. I need to give people flowers more often.

Water for daaaaays.

Tea/coffee shelf on kitchen wall and food cart/appliance holder.

Hike in the woods.

PUMPKINS! On the kitchen counter.

More leaves.

Making shirt after shirt for Brake Less Support.

Trees in the yard.

And more trees. Not in my yard.

Full.

Life has been so invigorating and happy and challenging and tiring and full. There has been no time to sit down and write about my life because I've simply been living it. I wake up and go go go until I'm ready to lay my head on my pillow or relax with a book, and I've been enjoying it. That's how I want my life to be; full.

As you can imagine, after my miscarriage I was just...destroyed. I don't even have words to explain it. I allowed myself to sit with that for a few days and just feel it. But then I decided that instead of continuing to sit there I was going to fill my days with all the things that made me feel happy and alive and well. So I've been doing just that. I've been riding my bike, baking paleo brownies that are perfect, painting things 'Sunshine Yellow', reading books, driving fast with the windows down and my hair flying, applying for and starting a new job, playing in the rain, cuddling with my dog and husband, going to see one of my favorite bands, and tending to my garden that is producing so many strawberries I get a few to eat each day and still have some to share with the neighbors.

The thing I've been enjoying the most is exercising and feeling my body continue to get so strong. I'm physically seeing a huge difference in my body and it's such a fun thing to see new muscles pop up! It's also mentally clearing to get out and do something that requires some good concentration.

So with that, I'll leave you a ton of pictures and a promise to write again, but maybe not soon. I'm not sure. I'm busy living, folks.

I started to say that the weather has been really wet so there are tons of caterpillars, but then I remembered it's worms that show up in an abundance in response to rain. Either way, tons of caterpillars everywhere!

Paleo brownies that a friend posted on FB. SO GOOD! Better than any brownie I've ever had. Ever. After cutting them up I individually wrapped some up to keep in the freezer so I wouldn't eat them all in a couple days. Except I did because they are even better frozen since they don't freeze hard because of the coconut oil!

I bought a 1/4 cow! It'll go to the butcher the beginning of September and I'll have fresh grass-fed beef that was raised 7 miles from my house.

Everyone deserves a pair of pink shorts.

Yellow paint can #1.

I saw Streetlight Manifesto at Hard Rock Live in Vegas. I cried from pure happiness. I've now seen 4/5 of my favorite bands!

Strawberries for days.

Rain for days.

Date ride with Vince.

Books! That aren't on the Kindle! 22 so far this year.

We both loved the hideous carpet at the hotel in Vegas. 

Sedona.

Yellow paint can #2.

'Noatmeal' made from ground almonds, coconut flour, maple syrup, and an egg.

Sunday Farmer's Market. I'm too poor to buy anything more.

Diaper butt.

Painted the old sewing cabinet from my grandma. I was worried she'd hate it, but she loved it!

After the rain.